In the recent years, GitHub has become the de-facto place to host open source projects. The success has been proven by the number of Sourceforge projects being moved to Github and the closure of google code (and their suggestion to move for github).

Git has been there for a long time, in fact it was there since the days linux kernel was born and git was invented by Linus Torvolds and he used git to manage the source of linux kernel.

However I believe that ease of use and the clean interface of github made many people to use it rather than sourceforge. I have a sourceforge account too, but I almost never used it and even to date, browsing through the source, downloading, etc is somewhat inconvenient and there were instances that the advertisements mislead people!.

I had some curiosity and interest with MIDI devices for some years and this small project came up after my Yamaha Portasound PSS-190 had a couple of burnt traces and the synthesizer IC was gone.

This particular instrument isn’t really high end, so there were no velocity sensing (velocity matters, try pressing a key on a piano slower and faster). And the keys were wired to form a matrix – thus known as matrix keyboards. This means each wont connect directly to the microprocessor/ synthesizer IC but the wiring arrangement is like a matrix/ table.

This means you only need 8 wires to access 16 keys. In case of the Yamaha keyboard I tried to fix, it had 7 + 6 wires and served 30+ keys. However the drawback is, you cannot all the keys at the same time (real time – I’m talking microseconds), the reason is that these needs “scanning”, enabling one row and read the values and so on. But this can be implemented to be fast enough for a human. For example, the standard PC keyboard is almost always a matrix keyboard with the internals scanning for key presses at least hundred times per second.

Back to the topic, since I couldn’t source the original synth IC, I decided to build a MIDI synth and install inside the keyboard! I had a STM32F4 Discovery board with me, so i went for the “Goom” (http://www.quinapalus.com/goom.html) ported to MidiBox (http://ucapps.de). Midibox is a platform to build various types of MIDI instruments. Will discuss about this in a later post.

With the synth running, what I needed was to get MIDI signals upon key presses of the keyboard. Therefore I did some googling, found out that MIDI is pretty much serial communication at 31250 baud rate. So to test, I used Arduino Mega.

First I setup the basics, enable internal pullups, then set the output port (PORT A) to a given arrangement – one pin turned OFF, others turned ON. The reason to do this than other way around is due to the usage of pullups instead of pull down resistors.

Then I read the input at PORT C. now this is where the rows are connected, so if a key is pressed, the corresponding pin would go LOW. For ease of processing I inverted this reading and I also keep track of “change of state” which means the code will proceed if an only if the previous state was changed.

Then depending whether it was a press down or releasing a key, the appropriate MIDI command is sent. – 0x91 means channel 1, note ON. Pitch is mapped as “48” = C3. (refer https://newt.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/notes.html for detailed mapping information).

With the code tested, all that remains is to wire it up to the keyboard and test!

Last year I ordered a Stellaris Launchpad Evaluation Board from Texas Instruments for $12.99. It arrived through FedEx in 3-4 days (free shipping!).

Update 1: They have changed the brand names from Stellaris to Tiva.

Update 2: Now they offer an updated variant with chip number “TM4C123G”. This version got built in PWM modules and some other differences. But the old stellaris code can be uploaded directly.Follow the migration document: http://www.ti.com/lit/an/spma050a/spma050a.pdf

GPIO pins on the microcontroller: 43 (including PWM; All GPIO are not accessible in the launchpad board)

SSI/ SPI Ports : 4

I2C Ports: 4

UART Ports: 8

Overview

Although the number of GPIO and other available pheripharels looks impressive, it should be noted that pinmuxing is used. In simple terms, same pin can be configured to use one of the available peripheral, therefore in practical terms you cannot use all SSI/SPI, I2C, UART, PWM ports at the same time.

To reduce this pin-multiplexing (pinmux) confusion, the “PinMux utility” by Texas instruments can be used to configure the pin usage. The program will generate the necessary code to use in the projects. –

Word Of Caution: Note the copyright notice in the generated code, I think the best idea is to use the program to get an idea on pin config, but not using the C files directly in the code to reduce copyright troubles in case you are worried of the legal wording!

Similar to Arduino “Shields” there are “Booster packs” that can be plugged to the launchpad. Or you can design your own boosterpack like we did.

Setting up toolchain

Several options are offered for development, from Texas Instrument owned “Code Sourcery” to Arm’s Keil or GNU C compiler.

I went for GNU C compiler based path. The ide used was eclipse, however other IDE’s can be used without a problem. The below link explain the method in detail.

The Stellarisware/Tivaware library set gives high level functions to access and control the peripharels and others without referring the registers directly (these functions do it for you). This helps programmers who are used for encapsulated high level programming to start working on the device instead of bothering which register is used to do something. But knowing how the low level works is highly recommended to proceed in path of Arm or other embedded architectures.

For me, working with this microcontroller through C helped to understand the somewhat confusing concept of “Pointers”. Also I practically used bit shifting and binary operations.

Interrupts

The highlight of this architecture can be easily marked as the interrupts. The NVIC (Nested Vectored Interrupt Controller) enables the programmer to define the priority of different interrupts. For example, updating a display panel or responding to a polling query is low priority than dealing with an encoder.

Also the large amount of available interrupts is quite useful on real time work since running everything on the while loop is not only inefficient, it cannot guarantee constant time between execution of each cycle of the loop.

So do not use the infinite while loop for Control loops, instead use timed interrupts OR measure the time duration- this way is messy. I used these interrupts extensively in one of the major projects with the launchpad. That used UART, GPIO, systick and PWM timer interupts.

Conclusion

Despite the lesser documentation and libraries found for this architecture (that use Stellarisware/tivaware) than competitors like ST Microelectronics, etc development board. This evaluation board is cheap (13 US Dollars) and decently fast which is ideal for newcomers for Arm and for hobbyists!

Also you can try the easier way by using “Energia IDE” (based on Arduino project). It looks and works like arduino IDE!!

While i was looking for some spot welder ideas, i saw a project with some transformers of industrial UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply). Then the old dead UPS lying around my room clicked to my mind and the transformer was huge as i hoped!

The rectification of the UPS was originally done by the diodes built into MOSFET’s used to drive the transformer from battery. To test the rig I used some 1mm copper wire and short circuited it, the result was quite good while the wire got very hot.

Playing more around the transformer showed that it had a center tap for the low voltage winding and a 40A fuse going to the battery. With some trouble, the centre tap got divided to separate coils and I connected them in parallel to increase the maximum current output (nearly doubling the initial amount). From the initial heated 1mm house wiring cable, I switched to multi stranded heaveier guage wire which got less heated and can melt the metal through it’s two connectors pretty easy.

My final conclusion was that using a dead UPS transformer is much easier than modifying a microwave as the risks are less, the coil needs minimal modifications and a nice casing!

For some time I’ve been looking for a microcontroller development board for my projects so I can do the prototyping a lot easier. The first such system I met is arduino (an open source development board based on Atmel mircocontrollers), I started to search for something like it, but using PIC microcontrollers instead. In the current trend, serial ports are becoming obsolete from newer computers and almost none on laptops, therefore I looked for a USB based solution. Finally, an open source system so messing up with it is some fun!

After some googling, I found out about Pinguino which is based on 28 pin pic18F2550 and bigger version of it, pic18F4550 (40 pin) microcontrollers. Depending on the requirements, the user have choice for either for 2550 or 4550 and both are USB supported in hardware (not bit banging). Just as I had some 18F2550 with me, i made the “traditional 2550” version.

That’s the basic description! The board communicate with the computer as a HID (the microcontroller must be flashed with the firmware in pinguino site to make it the pinguino!) and the IDE given is a python based software which can communicate with the microcontroller. The language used in the IDE is SDCC that can be learnt pretty quickely after following the tutorial.

Overall I like the whole system as it’s very fast in communication (40 seconds in serial vs 2 seconds via pinguino) as well as it’s very responsive. Even though a boot loader usually affect a microcontroller’s performance, this didn’t do as I assumed.

Being one of the simplest definitions for inventions , it speaks out the most basic and required feature of an invention, being a new idea which is a solution for a problem while it serves the human kind in good or bad way. For most people inventions sounds like that they are one of the most exceptional things that exist in the earth, But for the surprise of many, they are all around us !!!. From eraser attached pencil to ball point pen, from simplest carbon filament lamp to xenon discharge lamp or L.E.D. lamps and the first television with rotating disks to make the image to plasma projection televisions are just a handful of common inventions around us ! Therefore inventions are not exceptional or rare or something magical, but the idea of the invention is exceptional as without being exceptional that idea isn’t new and innovative.

The second important feature of an invention should be that it is serving us while it performs better than the previous technique, method or the system for the purpose. A good example is light bulb which revolutionized the human race by replacing dangerous and polluting kinds of flames from basic candle to gas lamp. Another example is the ball point pen. It stopped ink spills, usage of blotting paper and caused increased writing speeds.

While making the invention, the ability to be multi purpose will perform better as packing several things in one isn’t easy though the output is huge from such inventions. The swiss army knife or personal computer are two of the best examples for being multipurpose devices. Therefore being multipurpose is also a good feature of an invention though it is not compulsory.

People expect many things from an invention, including previously described features and marketing aspects, costs, etc. But I would like to point out a less discussed morally important aspect of an invention, “whether it helps the human to live better or destroy better”. The amazing thing is that both can be done from an invention while some are intended for one aspect. Still the invention can be used to help or destroy humans and environment. Therefore this is something not included in the idea of invention but way the user expect to use it. As an example rocket propulsion can be used for entertainment like fireworks and devastation like nuclear missiles. Therefore the biggest responsibility in using something is that it helps the human kind in a good way not the other way!.

Finally I think you can understand that inventions are things around us made for our ease. In addition they help us to perform our task better than we did earlier. But for inventors or creative thinkers, making one can be easy consuming several hours or difficult which even consuming our whole lifetime. Thats why Thomas Alva Edison who experimented more than 1000 types of materials for the best filament in making the electric bulb told,

This science fair was hosted by Ritsumeikan Senior high school and affiliated universities .For the first time Sri Lanka participated in the fair, and I’m one of the three participants.The fair was organized for the 7th consecutive year and we could see the organizing capabilities of the organizers.From the opening ceremony till closing ceremony, we could see the work done by everybody involved.The participants had to participate several activities which were chosen by the participants before. Science Zone, Science World can be considered as the best of the activities.In science world there are several choices, from biodiversity to robotics.In the robotics section we were first given a lecture whether artificial cultures exist or not, then we could interact with the Aibo, the robot dog manufactured by Sony (The production is stopped by the company).The aibo could show emotions based on the commands we give and it showed the complexity of the design.Later in the science Zone i chose robot zone which was on programming Lego Mindstorm NXT.In the latter part of the activity we had to make a robot which can navigate a dark line and the robot with shortest time was considered as the fastest.I lead the Team A consisting of four people and i did programming and some of the assembly of the robot.Only 3 teams of 9 could navigate the course and my team got the highest speed leading for victory !

Here is an image of the competition, I’m in the leftmost of the image while Mr.Kobeyashi of Ritsumeikan is in the middle.The robot is on the track running!